Mordred swept fire curtains into the black cube, slowly side-stepping around the side. He had no fear of return fire, just a cautious respect for the wickedly fletched arrows that Lector was shooting from the other side. His heart was hammering, the thrill of a sudden and unexpectedly intense battle making everything seem sharper. If he could see his own face he knew it would be stretched into a grin. It might have seemed like he had the upperhand this entire battle, and he certainly had been playing it cool as a cucumber for the OWL feed, but after surprising Aidan the battle hadn’t continued with the original advantage that he initially expected to enjoy. Right before Lector showed up Mordred had actually stumbled for a moment.

Furthermore, it was extremely fortunate that it had been Aidan sneaking up behind him and not one of the other monsters. He thought that he could take Forsythe, but Raven was a wild card. One of those jukebox hero people that just seemed to make victory happen in the most baffling circumstances. That and she was so popular even if he beat her it could do nothing but hurt his reputation.

Even if fortunate, Aidan had sent chills down his spine with how quickly he adapted and how calm he was even at half health. Say nothing of the courage and recklessness of sneaking his way through a war torn city with an Imperial name buoyed by contribution and somehow making it passed the people he’d put on the stairs. Those buggers had really wandered off? He was slightly disappointed.

More flame curtain, more arrows. No victory sign came. No contribution points.

“Did you get him?” Lector messaged him privately to ask.

“No, but he is cornered. Keep firing.” Mordred messaged back.

“Brooks is almost here.”

“We’ll send in Brooks when they get here.”

Maybe Lector sensed the same extraordinary danger that Mordred felt. There was no real need to even the odds when dealing with someone of Aidan’s daunting reputation for madness. To everyone else in the world he and Lector were nobodies, and it didn’t matter how many nobodies piled on a reputation until they had won one of their own.

More fire curtains and more arrows. More nothing.

The cube dissolved about a minute later, revealing a startling revelation. Aidan had… fled.

Lector, now visible from the other side, slowly moved in toward where the cube had been centered; Mordred approached cautiously as well. Both shared a look of frustrated astonishment.

A meter in diameter circle had been cut into the tower floor. Already the background repair was happening. The glowing edges turning white opaque.

Aidan had cut a hole in the floor! Probably with that damn disintegration field. Mordred had been on the look out for it but had foolishly not considered the terrain.

Mordred sighed, admitting to himself that he was actually, very slightly, vexed. He swung his staff half-heartedly through an image of Aidan standing near the hole. It didn’t resist at all and his staff swung through the image, causing it to shift like smoke before righting itself.

“I didn’t even think of that,” Lector said after a moment. “Suppose he just ran off through the tower to lick his wounds. Huh.”

“I’m trying to ignore the admiration I’m hearing,” Mordred laughed helplessly.

“Do you have a spell that could cut through the floor?” Lector asked, looking intrigued.

“I could tailor one, yes. Terrain damage is a modifier that you phase out of spells so you can boost damage against, well, everything else…” Mordred sighed. It was a good trick. He’d tailor a spell to cut through walls too.

“Not a lot of instances were cutting terrain is useful.” Lector said hesitantly, apparently trying to be kind.

“Apparently there is!” Mordred laughed. “...he got us.”

“For now.” Lector shrugged. “I’ll tell Brooks to go back?”

“Yeah. Find out what happened to the two people on the stairwell? If they needed to log out they need to at least let us know,” Mordred said exasperatedly.

“They died, Mordred.” Lector answered soberly.

“What?” Mordred had started to look away but was startled enough to turn around to make sure he heard right.

“Didn’t they message you?”

“I guess… I haven’t been listening to private tells for a while. I was just watching the city burn…” Mordred stared hard at Lector, still a little disbelieving. “He killed them?”

“Yeah. Why do you think I was so close?” Lector scratched his head and smiled. “Don’t ignore your messages, hey? I know we’re all tired but don’t be careless.”

“Alright. I’ll be down in a minute. Wait for me at the front with Brooks?” Mordred turned and walked through an image of Aidan on his way to the edge of the roof.

“Sure. Don’t take too long. No one on the stairs now.”

When he was gone Mordred couldn’t help but mutter. “Killed them?”

Aidan had come to the roof with full health after quietly dispatching two fighters. The hair on the back of his neck, had it been able, would have stood up. “I guess I really did get saved by my villain timer.”

He replayed the battle in his head, slowly thinking over each part, trying to think of how he could have done better. The images had been a surprise but ultimately fruitless. Aidan’s wizard toolkit had been surprisingly easy to deal with using his own. The cutting of the floor allowing him to slip away without falling off the roof or being minced by arrows or burned by fire.

Mordred looked down at his hands, wondering if they were shaking from post-battle excitement in the real world. Unlikely! His body was probably still a steady heart rate and unmoving do to the tech. “I think…”

Mordred was about to reassure himself that he had gotten the better deal when he looked at one of the images of Aidan standing nearby. That haughty look captured perfectly in the shadow of a cowl. That fierce finger pointing out into the darkness. Bitterness started to bleed into his expression. Next time. Next time would be different.

“Come to think of it, these images last a long time. Why did--.” The realization that the cube Aidan had made dissolved before the decoy images, and that must have been on purpose, came a fraction of a second too late. Crap.

“[One].”

As he spun around he saw that one of the images wasn’t an image at all. It was Aidan, pretending to be a decoy, staff leveled. Mordred had spun around so he didn’t take the lightning blast to the back, but there was no avoiding the blowback nor the raw power of the spell.

He got me!

“[One]!” Another stream of murderous lightning at point blank hit him squarely in the side, causing him to reel backward even further. He took one step backward trying to right himself, then another, prepared to countercast… and ran out of footing.

He fell.

Mordred turned his head, falling backward, knowing immediately that even though the ground seemed far away it would be upon him. “[Float]!”

“[One]!”

“[Two Fish]!” Mordred spat out, desperately trying to intercept the lightning that crept downward before it hit him.

Success! Mordred almost crowed when he saw his own blast hit the white lightning that charged toward him. The resulting explosion soured his expression immediately. It was too close! The blowback immediately canceled float and his health shook once more. Mordred began falling as rapidly as before, float barely having had time to slow him at all.

“[Floa-,” the word died on his lip, his eyes widening as the next stream of lightning was already on its way. Falling as he was, he could choose to slow his fall or counter cast. He couldn’t do both and there wasn’t time to think of another strategy. Even if he used one of the two profound spells he was holding back time was the limiting factor.

The worst part, Mordred thought as the lightning slammed into him once more, was that Aidan had probably already cast his damn ‘one’ spell again. He was going to get mashed to death with a single spammed ability. Mordred absolutely despised fighting games that had characters with spammable abilities that were just used to mindlessly overpower people.

A second later his premonition proved true as he saw light explode at the top of the building and start to race toward him. As Mordred fell, staring straight up into the grim expressionless face, he idly wondered if the lightning would kill him first… or gravity.

He turned his head as much as he could, trying to see the ground.

Gravity, he determined.

[Mordred Has Died]!

Aidan has gained significant experience but has not leveled up.

Imperial Contribution: Tallying - Special Rebel Point Holder Slain

Imperial Contribution Tallied: +798001

Imperial Contribution Rank Upgraded to Hand of the Empress.

[Mordred has asked to friend you]

“Accept.” Aidan said, a little surprised.

“You got me, and now you likely know another secret.” The resignation in Mordred’s voice was palpable. “Why did you lie about killing the two on the stairs?”

“Always lie.” Aidan offered genuinely and then added, “and yes, now I know another secret.”

Aidan absolutely had no idea what Mordred was talking about. The last few frantic minutes had been a whirlwind.

“We’ll still win.” There was no spite in the statement, just confidence.

Aidan smiled after a moment when the words came. “That won’t be decided by you or me.”

“Oh? Sorry Aidan, but your princess is in another castle.”

“We’ll see. She’ll be back in an hour.”

“Another lie.”

“Yes, absolutely.”

The laughter on the other end faded but the connection wasn’t cut.

“You’re strong, but that just makes this more worthwhile somehow. I hope to cross sticks with you soon.”

“Me too. Lack of passion my ass.” Aidan smirked.

“How did you hide your name?” Mordred asked.

“How do you know I won’t lie?” Aidan pressed. This was a weird conversation for him. There was a budding admiration for Mordred that was also a mixture of dread. Mordred was… strong, there was no way around it. Aidan couldn’t just be dropping him off a roof every time they came across each other. Mordred would wise up at some point and stay on the ground.

“Even lies are useful for discerning truth.” Mordred replied.

“I have so many job abilities that center around disappearing. I tailor in a field in front and behind of my name that makes the middle appear transparent by projecting an image of the scenery directly behind it. A fancy window that the name plate doesn’t go through since it isn’t scenery.” Aidan admitted.

“You are one weird guy. You fought well. You should run. I sent Brooks and Lector back up. Nothing personal but I am feeling a little put out!” Mordred laughed depreciatingly.

“Hey, thanks man. You got nothing to feel put out about. You fought real gouda.” Aidan couldn’t resist, and the groan he received was worth it.

“Thanks. I hate you so much.”

[Mordred has terminated the connection].

“Okay Elisha,” Aidan messaged.

He looked down at the ground below, hand reaching out awkwardly to brace himself against the flat surface that jutted up at the edge of the roof. “I am sorry to report that I did not get your screenshot. However, Mordred is dead.”

Aidan didn’t receive a reply and straightened up, trying to push the exhaustion he felt away. A moment passed, and then another. He… should really be on his way but…

“Elisha?” Aidan tried again. “Elisha…”

He'd worked really hard and was a little miffed no one was around to witness his accomplishment. Especially since he had forgotten that MKC Online was streaming him.

Aidan frowned and then before he could stop himself muttered, “hey! Elisha! Praise me!”

He sighed and then looked at the contribution tally. “I wonder if that’s a lot?”

--------

In the MKC Online war room there was silence as everyone listened.

"Hey! Elisha! Praise me!"

“Are we still streaming live?” Elias asked after a moment.

“...yes,” Fei muttered. They were doing their best not to cringe.

“Good.”